Symphony New Brunswick is the largest

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

organization in the province of

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

. It is based in

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of Ki ...

, Canada. The orchestra was founded in 1983 following the demise of the Halifax-based

Atlantic Symphony Orchestra The Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (ASO) was a professional Canadian symphony orchestra in Atlantic Canada that was active during the second half the 20th century. It was unusual in that it was the only full-time regional professional orchestra in Can ...

("ASO") which performed in several New Brunswick cities from 1969 to 1982. The ASO followed two predecessor orchestras based in New Brunswick. From 1950 to 1962, the Saint John Symphony Orchestra, founded by Evelyn Collins, Bruce Holder Sr. and Kelsey Jones, played in Saint John"Counting down to Christmas"
''Telegraph Journal'', Dec 22, 2018. and from 1953-1962, the Fredericton Civic Orchestra served the Province's capital city. The two New Brunswick orchestras merged in 1962 to form the New Brunswick Symphony Orchestra which was itself replaced in 1969 by the ASO. The NBSO's Principal Conductor was Janis Kalnins of Fredericton. Symphony New Brunswick presents concerts in Saint John at the

Imperial Theatre The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway theater at 249 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructed fo ...

, in

Moncton Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. The ...

at the Capitol Theatre, and in

Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...

at several venues including the Playhouse. The Symphony sponsors two chamber groups, the

Saint John String Quartet In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...

and a

woodwind quintet A wind quintet, also known as a woodwind quintet, is a group of five wind players (most commonly flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon). Unlike the string quartet (of 4 string instruments) with its homogeneous blend of sound color, the in ...

, Ventus Machina, founded in 2013 which is based in

Dieppe, New Brunswick Dieppe () is a city in the Canadian maritime province of New Brunswick. Statistics Canada counted the population at 28,114 in 2021, making it the fourth-largest city in the province. Dieppe's history and identity goes back to the eighteenth ...

. The Saint John String Quartet has been performing since 1987 and has been an East Coast Music Award winner and has been nominated for a Juno award. The members of the Quartet and two members of Ventus Machina are principals in the orchestra. Both the Quartet and the Quintet perform in the Symphony's chamber music series and, under the Symphony's auspices, perform numerous school concerts in many parts of New Brunswick. In May 2013, the organization launched a new chamber orchestra named Camerata New Brunswick, with the goal of reaching smaller New Brunswick communities throughout New Brunswick. Camerata has performed in Saint Andrews, Rothesay, Dieppe, Woodstock, Florenceville-Bristol, Shediac, Bouctouche, Miramichi and Sackville. Symphony New Brunswick announced in May 2013 a new long-term partnership with the Moncton-based choral group, the Louisbourg Choir which is under the direction of Monique Richard at the

Université de Moncton The Université de Moncton is a Canadian francophone university in New Brunswick. It includes campuses in Edmundston, Moncton, and Shippagan. The university was founded in 1963 following the recommendations of the royal commission on higher ed ...

. The Symphony's concerts between March and May of 2020 were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic; however, concerts were resumed by Camerata New Brunswick before live audiences in October, 2020 and continued throughout the remainder of the season. Covid-related public safety protocols were strictly followed at all venues. On October 23, 2018, the Symphony announced a search for a new Music Director and, on July 1, 2021, Mélanie Léonard of Montreal was named Music Director. Ms. Léonard's initial contract is for three years and her first concerts in her new position occurred in October, 2021. Music Directors of Symphony New Brunswick have included: Nurhan Arman 1987-2002; Stéphane Laforest 2005-2009; Michael Newnham 2009-2018; Mélanie Léonard 2021-present In addition to the Symphony's many government and private sector supporters, it is financed in part by its own endowment fund hosted by an independent charity, Symphony New Brunswick Foundation Inc. based in Saint John, New Brunswick.

References

External links

Symphony New Brunswick
{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1983 1983 establishments in New Brunswick Canadian orchestras Musical groups from Saint John, New Brunswick

See also

References

External links